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Fake It ‘til You Make It

A friend of mine once said that the way you become good at something in life is by faking your
way through it the first few times, until you learn how to do it without faking. That makes sense.
Even as adults, there are many first times…a first time you run a meeting at work, a first
networking event, a first sale, a first party in your home, etc.
In many of life’s public situations, you don’t want to look new and green; it’s embarrassing, and
messing up could prove costly. Even if you explain that it’s your first time and ask others to cut
you a little slack, there are still plenty of first, second, third times that you’ll just need to push on.
Fortunately, most people are willing to accord you with the authority you are taking on. If you’re
running the meeting, you are probably the right person to run the meeting. If you’re making the
sale, you’re probably the person with the knowledge to help them make a decision. If you’re at a
networking event, you probably have something to contribute. And, nervous as you might be
that no one will show up, if you throw the party just the way the experts say to do it, you’ll
probably have a great crowd.
People tend to expect that you belong in the role you are taking on at any given moment. Once
you know that, you can be powerful in just about any new endeavor. If you don’t let on—by
apologizing, hiding out, or calling attention to your own mistakes—then they probably will never
realize it either. If you step into the role you’re taking on, almost as an actor, and pretend to be
experienced at it, they’ll go right along with you.
It may feel like you’re faking it the first few times, but eventually you realize you’re not faking it
anymore, because you’ve made it!
Sincerely,
Matt Haviland
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life
P.S. If you have a great parable you’d like to share with me, please send it to me or call me at 609-338-3773.